October 23, 2015 

 

Contacts:

MSUB Extended Campus, 866-5890
University Communications and Marketing, 657-2266

 

Montana State University Billings extended campus will offer a Craft Beer Learn & Taste series beginning in November.

 

Extended Campus offers ‘Learn and Taste' series for craft beer enthusiasts 

 

Courses will be held on Nov. 12, Dec. 3, Feb. 11 and March 10 from 6 p.m to 8 p.m. Each class is $45, or $150 for the entire four-part series.

 

MSU BILLINGS NEWS SERVICES — It’s important to know where your food comes from. But, how about your craft beer?

 

Learn about the process of craft beer making during a four-part “Learn and Taste” series presented by Montana State University Billings Extended Campus beginning in November, featuring some of the best beer experts in the region.

 

“A lot of people don’t really know what all goes into making a good beer,” Paul Pope, MSUB assistant professor, said. “We hope this course will promote more informed beer drinking and an even greater appreciation for the craft.”

 

The series will cover topics including the origins of craft brews, an introduction into the variety of ingredients used, how the process differs between craft brewers and micro brewers for each style of beer, and special parts introducing an assortment of styles—Bold, IPA’s and Belgium—all while sampling each the brews.

 

Pope, who also serves as the vice president of Rimrock Brewers Guild—a home brewing club based in Billings—said craft beer has seen a substantial increase in popularity over the past decade.

 

“But it has been engrained into cultures around the world for about 7,000 years,” he said. “Many historians and archeologist believe agriculture programs began in communities to domesticate grains not for bread production, but rather for beer. It was a mainstay of people’s diet, offering an abundance of nutritional value including vitamins and minerals.”

 

Pope said that the world of beer has something for everyone. The fastest growing style, he said, are seasonal beers.

 

“As the seasons change, so do the popular beer styles,” Pope said. “Before beer was industrialized, seasonal beers were the norm.”

 

Pale ales and radlers taste great in summer and now that it’s fall, menus feature Oktoberfests and pumpkin spice beers.

 

“The craft brew community approaches beer-making like it’s an art,” Pope said, who has been crafting his own beer for nearly a decade.

 

The series will be taught by faculty from the College of Arts and Sciences in conjunction with regional brew masters from Carter’s Brewing, Angry Hanks Microbrewery, UberBrew and Canyon Creek, all of Billings, as well as Neptune’s Brewery based out of Livingston and Red Lodge Ales Brewing Company of Red Lodge. Other sponsors include Rimrock Brewers Guild and Billings Home Brewery Supply.

 

The series will take place at Extended Campus, 214 N. Broadway, Thursday nights from 6 to 8 p.m. Classes begin Nov. 12 and continue on Dec. 3, Feb. 11 and March 10 and cost $45 per class or $150 for the entire series.

 

To register for the Craft Beer Learn and Taste series, visit msubillings.edu/craftbeer/* or call 406-866-5890.

 

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*As of 1/7/21 the Craft Beer website content is no longer available